You know the drumbeat we mean: the never-ending call for volunteers that you will be hearing from now until May. If you’re one of the club’s hardcore veteran volunteers, this little reminder won’t mean much to you. You already have the date marked in your Dayrunner. (For those not that plugged in, the date is Saturday, May 5.)
If, however, you are not one of the club’s hardcore veteran volunteers, then this message is meant for you. The thing is, some of those old veterans work their little keesters off on the WCC, before, during, and after the event. This can lead to burn-out. What we would like to see is more people involved so that nobody has to work that hard. Shorter shifts for everyone. Think of it: the more of us that do a little, the less there is for each of us to do. And yet we still all get the cool t-shirt and the workers’ ride and dinner for free, plus—the best part—we all share in the satisfaction and pride that comes with having helped to put on just about the best century ride around.
February marks our traditional WCC kick-off: the first posting of the roster of committee chairs (see page 8) and the first call for helpers on the event. Although it may seem as if we beg and plead for volunteers every year, the fact is that many people love to do this, and many of those many people sign up early to snag their favorite jobs. People want to work on the same rest stop crew with the same cohort of pals they worked with last year. If you dither and delay too long on calling the committee chair of your choice, your choice might turn out to be somewhat limited. That favorite crew might be filled up already. The best plan is to jump all over this right now.
The WCC for 2007 is very much in the mode of: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We’ve got the thing wired at this point. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t be tinkering with the details a little. There is always something that can be tweaked just a bit to make it a better event for both our participants and our staff. WCC Chair Doug Simon and his team of committee chairs will be busy beavers in the months ahead, fine-tuning our well-oiled machine. But none of their little adjustments will amount to much if they don’t have the help of all of you, the club members, to make it happen on May 5. To volunteer, or to learn more about what working on the WCC entails, go to...
Is it more than a Bicycle Race?
On President’s Day, Monday, February 19th, when the 18 professional race teams ride into Santa Rosa for their three laps of downtown and a sprint finish in Courthouse Square, it should certainly provide for some memorable racing and excitement.
Tuesday morning, February 20th will give a different opportunity to get close to these athletes: the teams will assemble in Railroad Square, starting at 8:00 AM, to warm up, sign in with race officials, and be introduced to the crowd. At 10:00AM the race rolls out of town via Bennett Valley Road, Glen Ellen, and Trinity Road on the way to Sacramento.
But this is more than just a two-day event in Santa Rosa (eight days total for California). The race will require months of planning by the organizers and the cities involved, and will demand participation by literally thousands of people. For most of those people, including the volunteers from the Santa Rosa Cycling Club, the race offers an opportunity for their enthusiasm for bicycling of all types to be turned into a very visible demonstration of just how widespread that enthusiasm is in the community.
For 2007 there will be more events than last year.
February 6, 6:30 PM: a volunteer-training session at the SR Vets Building, covering all aspects of course marshalling and safety.
February 11: SRCC will help clear litter and garbage from part of the course (to make it look nice for the TV cameras). (See page 2.)
February 17: visitors, bike clubs, and local race teams will be invited to join SRCC on preview rides over a portion of the Stage 1 course.
There will be outreach to residents and businesses along the course, and to local schools.
On race day there will be helmet-decorating and a ride around part of the finish straight for child cyclists.
We want to get as many bicycles downtown as possible, and the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition will again provide secure bicycle parking, this year at City Hall on Monday and Railroad Square on Tuesday morning.
See you there! Volunteer at amgentourofcalifornia.com
—Martin Clinton
Plans are already afoot to have an April ride schedule jam-packed with hilly rides for the club’s April Alpina challenge. My extra early work on the scheduling was initiated when I heard from Marc Moons, Bob Redmond, and Tony Lee: they had configured a new route that they thought would be perfect for April Alpina. The club at this point has three traditional rides for April: The Nifty Ten-Fifty, the Pine Flat mass-start time trial, and the Clear Lake Double Metric. Now it looks as if we’ll have a fourth.
We had to come up with a name for this new ride. Everyone wanted to find a name that was fun, descriptive, and unique. What was settled on was “The Fearsome Five.” And let me tell you, this new classic is so diabolically challenging as to strike fear and trembling into the hearts and legs of many a cyclist! To whit: start (probably) at Alexander Valley School, head out to the Geysers and then go Pine Mtn > Geysers > Ida Clayton > Pine Flat. About 125 miles and over 15,000' of gain. Not too shabby, eh?
There were a number of scheduling conflicts among the ride leaders where it became obvious that the best date to hold the first edition of the Fearsome Five was on ... March 31st! (There will be some tricky rule bending and time warping to have this ride included within the 30 days of April.)
Finally, I want to mention the other fun challenge we’re looking forward to for April Alpina: a total, cumulative gain of 1,000,000 vertical feet. We need about ten more folks above last year’s numbers, to make this happen...but the more the merrier.
Our clever plan for bringing attendance at the January meeting down below the Round Table Pizza group room’s rated capacity worked out just about the way we hoped it would. Eliminating the free pizza appears to be at least part of the reason we dropped from over 100 to just under 80 at the annual election meeting. We filled every chair in the room, but we were just within the posted limit.
We hated to give up on giving out the pizza, but we had to do something or face the wrath of the Fire Marshal. In lieu of the free food at the meeting though, we rewarded everyone who came to vote with a voucher good for a free lunch at El Sombrero Taqueria in Healdsburg after the Second Saturday ride in March...the original and now resurrected date of the formerly famous Free Lunch Ride.
As for the elections, they were carried out according to the club by-laws. Some incumbent Board members stepped down—Ron Bates, Adrienne Ruggles, and Doug Simon—and they were replaced by Donn King (our new Secretary) and Charlie Rowell and Robin Abramson as Officers-at-Large. Martin Clinton was replaced as President by former Vice-President Craig Gaevert, while Greg Durbin moved from Officer-at-Large to VP. Donna Emery remained as Treasurer, and Martin Clinton, Gordon Stewart, and John Miklaucic remained on the Board as Officers-at-Large.
Thanks to all past Board members, new Board members, and continuing Board members for devoting their time and energy to steering the club in the right direction.
Mike and Janice Eunice have decided to list a regular schedule of entry-level rides for novice club members, beginning with a listing on Sunday, February 4, starting at Julliard Park. (See Ride List.)
Janice sent in this note with the ride listing: “Since you gave me the title of the club’s official Welcome Wagon, I decided to take it seriously. Mike and I want to welcome new members—or simply those new to riding their bikes or who perhaps haven’t been on their bikes for awhile—giving them an opportunity to ride at a comfortable pace and over an easy distance. If they need technical help with their bicycles, Mike can give some tips or help make small adjustments. If they need to know what an SRCC club membership entails, we can tell them. It’s fun to ride your bike and there are many other benefits. We will meet at 10:00 AM, and the route will be along the Santa Rosa Creek Trail for starters. I usually like to find out whom I have on the ride and how active they are and how traffic tolerant. The mood and pace will be easy and social. I think there will be plenty of talking and exchanging information.”
Janice says she would like to lead at least one of these rides each month, and if the demand is sufficient, she will lead even more. The club has been trying for some time to create a series of introductory rides for those new to cycling, and this looks like it should fill the bill.
Have you checked out the three new bridges along the extension of the Santa Rosa Creek trail? They open up a new leg of the trail, west of Fulton and on to Willowside Road. The trail was always there, but without the bridges, it could only be done by fording three creeks. Although paving of the path is still a year or so off, the surface is now well compacted gravel that’s easy to manage on a road bike. The bridges are quite attractive and their installation has been well done. With the Prince Greenway once again open, it’s now possible to ride the bike path (or nature trail, if you prefer) all the way from city center to Willowside...a very pleasant run, and a nice alternative to the busy city streets when heading for the west county.
We’re now well launched into the new year, but our look backward at rides of the recent past takes us all the way back to Christmas weekend. But before tackling those rides, we have to go back even further, to Thanksgiving weekend, for a correction. I had assumed—incorrectly, it turns out—that Randall Ray’s ride on that Saturday had been rained out. In fact, it happened, and Randall sent me a note to set me straight: “ We had 25 riders of all abilities come out to brave the cold and leave some of those Thanksgiving calories up on Geysers and Pine Flat Roads. It was a bright sunny day, with a brisk wind that increased as we gained elevation. I hung in the back third of the group, and at the top of the first climb about half of the riders elected to go on to the second climb on the Geysers. (I later received a phone call stating that several had ridden on to Cloverdale as well.) A small group of us made our way back to Pine Flat, where we passed and were passed by many familiar faces. For such a simple route, there are many options, and we saw a lot of ‘branching’ along the way. As our little group made the descent on Pine Flat, we passed more and more bunches of riders on their way up. As far as I know, my little mishap involving a turn, gravel, gravity, and a barbed wire fence was the only incident of the day.” Randall’s “incident” refers to a slightly traumatic off-road excursion, departing the PF descent at speed and fetching up in the clutches of a snaggle-tooth fence. But he survived it with only a minor shredding of his flesh and his wardrobe.
Back to Christmas weekend. Kimberly Hoffman gave the gang one more shot at her “favorites” route on the 23rd: “I was a bit late this day. (I know I’m notoriously late for my own rides, but a bit later than usual this time). I believe we had about 20 people, and once I got them started, we broke up quickly. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but Sue, Alan, and I ended up significantly off the back. We knew everyone had been and gone from the parking lot, so, on a whim decided to take the new section of the Santa Rosa Creek Trail back home. As noted on the chatty list, the bridges are nice and go well with the scenery and the gravel trail is quite rideable on a road bike. Another pleasant day on the bike for sure.”
The next day Doug McKenzie led a D ride up the valley. “On Christmas Eve I lead the first D-paced ride in a long time. It was almost a dare from a few people commenting on the fact that a lot of C-paced rides turn out to be D’s. Nine showed at the start at Piner High, a few more than expected on Christmas Eve. It was a nice day for a ride, light winds, cool temps, dry. Only one other fixie besides mine. We took off down Piner to Guerneville at what I considered a reasonable D pace, low 20’s. It’s where I’m comfortable with a 79" gear, about 90 RPM. The riders quickly realized whether they would be sticking together or not. We did a stop at Wohler Bridge. A couple riders peeled off at Eastside and another realized he would be off the back. Even though the route was relatively flat, with some rollers, there had to be some battles for KOR’s (King of Rollers). Brian Carroll seemed to be feeling good and picked off most of them. But for the one city limit at Healdsburg, the surprise winner was Jose Mundo. I think of Jose as a steady C-pace, not a sneaky D rider. After a quick regroup at the river park, we continued back to the start with the group pretty much still intact. It seems we have a decent D-paced sector of the club. I suggest we have about one D paced ride a month.
On Christmas Day, Sue Bennett led her now nearly traditional Christmas Cookie Ride. Sue wasn’t sure—a month in advance—whether she would be around on the big day this year, so she wasn’t able to post the ride in the newsletter ride list. But by mid-December, she had sorted out her holiday plans and the ride was a go. We got it posted to the club website ride list and put out alerts on the e-mail chat list, and apparently those last-minute notices did the job, as Sue reports: “This year’s Christmas Ride had a record number of riders; no suprise as the weather was the best in a couple of years. I also had a record number of riders stop in at the house after the ride. As Adrienne said: ‘Weather made to order, great cookies, warm cider, great company...what more could we ask for?’”
There was only one ride listed for the last weekend of the year: Randall Ray’s Last Chance Century on December 30. Randall reports: “Listing a ride on Dec 30th seemed a little dicey, and the 8:00 start time proved to serve up temps in the 30’s. Still, 15 highly motivated riders showed for the little spin up to Cloverdale and back, picking up several more riders as we snaked through the backroads of Forestville and Windsor. This ride was truly remarkable for a number of reasons, not least of which being the weather. In spite of the lingering frost, the sun soon warmed us enough that we were all shedding our sleeves and shells, which remained stowed away for the rest of the day. The holiday weekend also left us with the roads practically to ourselves, even on 128 approaching the casino. Most impressive, though, was the fact that we remained gruppo compatto for most of the day. Everybody in our little peloton seemed content to motor along at a lively social pace, just taking in the scenery, chatting about the year’s experiences, and enjoying each other’s company. The last 30 rolly miles created a few gaps, as the shadows grew long and I’m sure the big boys needed to stretch their legs. There was a crossing of wheels as they mixed it up, and one rider—Greg Durbin—went down without serious injury. It was rewarding to squeeze in one more hundred-miler in ’06, but more so to be a part of Bill O’s 52nd century of the year! For the mathematically challenged, that’s a century a week. Not too shabby!” (And Bill O says, “Aw, shucks.”)
Part of the reason there was no ride scheduled for New Years Eve was that we had our big New Years Day ride (and party) laid on for the following day. And what a nice day it turned out to be. The weather could not have been better. My bike thermometer showed 78° in mid-afternoon, with the bulk of the ride carried out on the high side of 70°. (This is January 1 we’re talking about.) Incredible. And the crowd was as impressive as the weather: no one got an exact head count, but estimates seem to fall around the number 120. That’s 120 riders rolling out of Finley Park together, heading for the Joe Rodota Trail. Quite a sight! The only thing wrong with that number is that only about 30 people out of those 120 had the courtesy to RSVP for the party afterward, making the buying and preparing of food a real guessing game for those doing the work (Sharron Bates, René Goncalves, Sue Bennett, Tina Maddux, etc). We’ve become familiar with this not-clear-on-the-concept problem with RSVPs for club events. It always crops up at the club picnic, and there are even people who show up for the Holiday Dinner without reservations. What is it about RSVP that people don’t understand? It means: please let those in charge know your are going to be there. It’s not negotiable nor optional. If you’re going to the party, pick up the phone or send an e-mail. Simple as that. Anyway, the folks in charge this time covered pretty well, and I don’t think anyone went home hungry. But it has become a huge task, this New Years bash, and those same folks have let us know that this was their last one. If we are to have a New Years Day party next year, someone else will have to take it on.
There were two rides on the following Saturday. Ken Russeff led a ride out of Santa Rosa: “My A ride turned into an AB ride with a touch of C added in. It turned out to be a great formula and a great mix of riders. An even 30 riders showed up, including three visitors. Weather: crystal clear, albeit slightly cool at the start. Wind: 5-10 mph. Air quality: 22 on the top scale. Thanks to all. P.S., it was an unofficial birthday ride for Janice Eunice.”
The other ride was Chris and John Mason’s trek to Pine Flat from Forestville. I did that one, and it proved to be a perfect day to be out on the bike. Two dozen riders showed up, and most of them stayed together on a convoluted route heading over to Chalk Hill and 128. But once we arrived at the base of the big Pine Flat climb, any sense of cohesiveness in the group disintegrated, with folks motoring up the mountain at whatever tempo worked for them. Some hardy souls went all the way to the top, while others only went as far as the flat before turning around, and a few went through the flat to the base of the steep part. One way or another, it broke the group up into many little chunks, and some were so far apart that even a leisurely regroup in the sun at the Jimtown Store didn’t succeed in putting all the pieces back together again. There was a stiff, chill wind blowing down out of the north. We had to battle into it all the way to our northern terminus at Lambert Bridge, but once we came about onto a southern heading, we had it at our backs, and it pushed us down West Dry Creek and Westside at a very comfortable clip.
Sunday, Rose Mello listed an AB ride and she sent in this note about it afterward. “We had 24 riders with weather to die for. We had an interesting event on our ride. There were five of us picking up the rear of the ride. We were regrouping at Trenton-Healdsburg and Eastside Roads. A car had stopped to ask us a question about our riding, and Gayle Walz tried to answer his question, but before she could say anything, he started calling us names. This guy just snapped. As he was driving off, we said have a good day and I waved. I think that pissed him off more, because he stopped in the middle of the intersection and got out of his car. Still swearing at us, he ended up throwing a apple cider bottle at us, which sprayed all of us with glass. Susan ended up with a flat tire. We did get the license plate number and description of the car, and called the sheriff. I hope they get the guy.” Rain clouds in the middle of a sunny day...
Next up was the January Second Saturday Ride, this month staging out of Howarth Park. This weekend corresponded with a record-breaking cold snap, with overnight temps dropping to 20° or even lower in some areas. Fortunately, it was bone dry everywhere, and that made the cold tolerable. It had warmed up to around 30° by the time the multitudes assembled by the tennis courts. There were only around ten riders for the very ambitious C route (the classic Trinity-Spring Mountain hill fest), but there were larger contingents for the A and B routes that stayed comfortably down near the floor of the Valley of the Moon. I did the C route, and we rolled out through Annadel, Oakmont, and Kenwood in company with the B’s. We only really figured out who was going over the mountain when we reached the fork in the road at Dunbar and Trinity. The C’s had a swell time going over to Napa Valley (and back). No question though, those hills are steep. The climbs were a tall order for this time of year—maybe for any time of year—and the shady descents were exceedingly nippy. Because it was dry though, the ice we had worried about on the descents was nowhere to be seen. Lou Salz was the C leader and Wayne Kellam was the B leader. He sent in this note: “The main description of the B ride is cold. We rode through an icy streamlet in front of the Dunbar School. It was either a broken pipe or a faucet left open to deter same. The dirt path at the end of Channel Drive had many frozen puddles on the way out and also on the way in at about 1:00 PM. The 21° overnight low was the lowest I can remember in years. The riders seemed fine in their multiple layers covering neck to toe. The clear, sunny sky helped too. This was everyone’s first time riding through Sonoma Regional Park on Hwy 12. We started on the high end, which allowed us to swoop through the hills and trees to Arnold Drive. Very smooth and pretty, and not very crowded.” That trail through the park was my contribution to the route. I’ve done it two or three times now, and it really is nice. You can reach it as Wayne’s group did, with a short run south along Hwy 12 from the Arnold junction, or you can come at it from the Arnold Drive end, just north of Eldridge.
On Sunday, Kimberly and Matt listed Winter in the Wine Country. Kimberly reports: “It was cold Sunday morning as Matt and I rolled out with 10 C and 11 B riders. The C’s got ahead, but we—the B’s—passed them as they lounged at Hoffman House and we kept on going. We B’s finished around noon and headed over to the Bear Republic, wondering how far behind the C’s would be. I’d say they were about an hour behind and were quite ready for some lunch. Of our original 21, I think we had 14 people terrorizing the waitress for lunch, then we got a bonus, because Donn King had ridden up to Healdsburg just to enjoy lunch with us. Good riding, good food, good beer, good friends...what more could one ask for?”
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